1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a malfunctioning parts detecting device and a method of detecting malfunctioning parts in office automation equipment such as copying apparatus, printers and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years the construction of mechanical elements of controlled sections have become more complex in office automation equipment such as copying apparatus, printers and the like, and the control section used to control the operation of said controlled sections has also become more complex. In the case of copying apparatus, for example, the construction of the control section unavoidably become more complex due to the necessity of controlling the operations of various functions such as paper feeding, optical exposure, developing and the like using a predetermined timing.
In recent years, consideration has been given to the points at which the controlled sections may be divided by each function of paper feeding, optical exposure, developing and the like so as to simplify the construction of the control section as much as possible. Thus, control sections have come to be distributed in arrangements of a main control section which controls continuous copying operations, and sub-control section provided for the operation of each function. Additional sub-control sections have been provided for installable options of the copying apparatus such as automatic document feeder, large capacity paper feeding devices and the like, and the operation of these sub-control sections is also controlled by the aforesaid main control section.
Although the construction of the aforesaid control section is simplified, when an occasion arises wherein a sub-control section does not execute a desired operation, specifically determining where the problem lies among the main control section, sub-control sections, and controlled sections is not simply achieved. Particularly in the case of copying apparatus, it often happens that service personnel must be dispatched to repair the apparatus when anomalous operation occurs. In such instances, service personnel typically can not bring specialized measuring devices and thus, the repair operation takes a long time and is based on experience and guess work of the service personnel.
Methods have been proposed for detecting malfunctioning parts in each control section via the operation of switches provided in each control section. However, the controls sections of copying apparatus are provided at various locations in said apparatus, such that operation of all the switches provided throughout a copying apparatus is extremely troublesome. Furthermore, providing a plurality of switches in each control section may lead to erroneous operation.